Mike Cadaver’s Ear Fear 1: Introduction

With any interest or hobby, there are different levels that people allow that interest to permeate his or her life. Well, for me, that interest is Horror, and it’s difficult to describe my relationship with horror without using words like obsessive or fanatical. The problem that I have is that, like many of us, I have “real world” responsibilities that put me in situations where expressing my love for horror would be a bit inappropriate. For instance… I’m just not sure that my coworkers would be alright with me conducting our daily morning meeting at work if I traded in my collared shirt and khakis and I was wearing my Phantasm or Ms. 45 T-Shirt and custom Army of Darkness shoes.

Alice Cooper performing live during Halloween Night of Horror at London Wembley Arena on 28 October 2012

There are many mediums in which I can enjoy horror atmosphere. Horror movies are probably the most obvious way that I enjoy getting caught up in that “horror vibe”.

Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (The Misfits)

However, there are many other ways that I get my horror fix. I have been known to get into horror comics, horror novels, magazines, and most recently, I’ve been enjoying listening to many horror-themed podcasts. However, I think that the artistic form that has really quenched my obsession is music. In recent years, I’ve come to realize how much amazing horror music actually is out there just waiting to be discovered. I’m talking every genre of music, from the more obvious music types such as film scores and heavy metal, all the way to horror folk and psychobilly. I’ve found that not only can horror related music create a great atmosphere, but it is something that I can always rely on to quench my thirst for horror… which is very helpful, especially in times where I really need my fix. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been dealing with the stresses of work or family only to have my cares all melt away when I put on my headphones and let the horror punk, black metal, or occult rock pour over me.

That’s where Ear Fear comes in. In this bi-weekly column, I’m going to break down and explore horror-related music. If it wasn’t for a podcast called the Diablocast that I found some time in 2009 which really opened my eyes to the breadth of horror-related music, I probably would have missed out on much of the horror music that has now become such a staple in my daily life. My hopes for this column is that I can share some of the “finds” that I’ve made over the years that have become such a big part of my daily life. Some weeks I might talk about a certain band or album, and another I’ll talk about a horror music sub-genre. I’d also like to get interviews with bands who are committed to horror and toiling in some of the more thankless genres of horror music.

Swedish heavy metal band Ghost performing live in Utrecht.

So there you have it… Hopefully in the upcoming weeks, I can help feed your horror obsession by introducing you to some new music, or at least I hope to rekindle your love and excitement for the music that you love. If you have any suggestions for topics, or if you’re a horror band who would like to let people know about your horror obsession, or

for any other reason you’d like to get in touch with me, you can email me at mike@corpsecollective.com.